Dresden Drabbles
by Jennixst
Summary: My mostly Maggie centric Drabbles. More to come.. if I think of any
1. Chapter 1

**Dresden Drabbles **

_Mostly Maggie centric._

_All characters, places and so forth belonging to the DresdenVerse is the property of Jim Butcher. I am just playing with his toys._

* * *

**Thomas vs Charity Round 1.**

"Your spoiling her."

"I'm her uncle, it's my job to spoil her."

"She's a child. She doesn't NEED Gucci shoes!"

"They are not Gucci! Their Prada."

* * *

**Maggie's First Magic.**

"Leave me alone Hank, I have to finish my homework." Maggie Dresden frowned at her foster-brother.

The Carpenter kids, and now Maggie and Mouse, always did homework together at the large table in the kitchen, every afternoon after school. Usually this worked out well, with the older kids helping the younger ones. Tonight however Young Harry, aka Hank had finished his homework before the others and was doing what all young boys do when bored. He was annoying his siblings.

Maggie thought she was doing really well ignoring him. For half an hour too. Half an hour of her things being moved or disappearing just as she needed them, the table wobbling and an incessant stream of noise from her very annoying foster-brother. However when he started flicking things at her she finally had enough.

Several things happened at once. Her chair hit the floor, she stood up so quickly. Her hands hit the table, hard and everyone jumped. She shouted, quite impressively, "KNOCK IT OFF HANK!" and there was a sharp "FZZZTT" in the air. All the lights blew out at once. Thin streams of smoke started oozing from every electrical appliance in the room and all the LED lights vanished. For a second or two there was only silence, darkness and faint smoke. Then Hope said, in her understated way "Uh oh."

Charity and Michael ran into the room seconds later and Harry immediately sing-songed "Maggie did it!"

"Only because you provoked her!" Hope fired back from the darkness.

Charity sighed as she flicked on a nearby camping lantern. "Well we expected it Maggie dear. You are your father's daughter." Maggie heard the exasperated but affectionate tone she always used when talking about Maggie's dad. She looked shyly up at the people who cared for her day-to-day, especially when her Dad was busy. He was busy a lot, his Boss was Mean and he had a Really Hard Job. She saw nothing but love and amusement in their faces. "Does this mean I'm like my dad? And Molly?" Maggie asked, worried and excited. Michael smiled at her, a little sadly, "Yes little one. It does. You're a magical." Maggie looked at Mouse and he wuffed and rubbed his huge head against her. She looked back at the Carpenters and her face lit up. "Can I call my Dad.. I want to tell him!"

* * *

**Maggie vs School Yard Bully.**

_Maggie's POV_

I know I am not supposed to talk about my Dad. Or about what he does. I know it's a Big Secret. But Timmy Roarke said I was an orphan that no one wanted and the Carpenters were just being 'Good Catholics' looking after me one too many times. He said that my Mummy was probably a teenager who got in trouble and didn't want me. I told him that he was wrong, that my Mummy loved me very much." Timmy didn't listen, he's as dumb as he is mean. He's always teasing the younger kids about something. He's real nasty about it too.. and good at finding our weak spots.

"If your Mum loved you so much where is she then?"

"She's dead." I don't like talking about that. I remember only a little about my real Mum.. she used to visit me and bring me things. She was really pretty and she always smelled nice and spent every minute she could with me when she came. I miss her. I still miss my first foster family. I stopped thinking them, before the white-hot memories could scald through my brain. I kept the images of blood and pain and real, scary monsters tightly locked up. My face must have looked funny.

"Whatever. She was probably a junkie." Timmy Rourke is really not very nice or very smart. He thinks he is better than everyone because his daddy is rich. He sneered at me "Your Mum was probably a junkie whore and your Dad was probably a drunk bum.. you look Latino enough." he taunted. The red haze slid over my gaze then.. this jerk had gone too far

"You have NO idea who you are messing with. My Daddy is the thing that scares monsters! He destroyed an entire race of evil vampires to save me, and took a job with the meanest and nastiest of the bad fairies.. He is WAY more scary then you'll ever be. If you don't take back what you said about my Mum.. I'll ask him to turn you into an ice-cube and blow you to bits!"

"Your such a liar" Timmy laughed at me. I HATE it when people laugh at me!

I thrust my chin out, getting into his space growling. "Take. It. Back."

he kept laughing at me. Then he shoved me hard over on my butt and kept laughing. Tears filled my eyes, my palms and bottom stung and I was so angry I wanted to scream.

Then Mouse suddenly appeared, fangs on show, to my left. On my right appeared 'Little' Harry Carpenter, my youngest, but older than me, foster-brother. My foster sisters, Hope, with arms folded and Alicia, holding her softball bat confidently, stood behind them.

"Apologise NOW." growled 'Little Harry'. We call him 'Little Harry' or Hank, after my Dad. Mrs Carpenter always insists she was on drugs at the time "Little" doesn't really describe Hank. He's huge. Mr Carpenter is a big guy and Mrs C isn't a delicate dolly either so he's tall and wide anyway. Plus he loves his sports and he's good at them so he's all strong limbs, muscles and loads of energy. He's well-known around the school and neighbourhood and has Jock Status. (According to Leech). Plus a history of smacking down bullies.

Timmy Rourke swallowed and looked for allies. None came. Apparently no one wanted to mess with Hank or Mouse. And Timmy had just shoved 'Little' Harry's YOUNGER sister on her butt. Not to mention Alicia's reputation as a hitter on the softball team. He was on his own. Three pairs of angry blue eyes fixed on the kid picking on their 'baby' sister. Oh and one HUGE mountain of really pissed of dog. Who was showing a LOT of teeth and making a sound like a rabid animal low in his throat.. there was even foam. (Mouse was such a show off.) One huge paw eagerly scratched the ground. I had to try hard not to laugh as Timmy realised just how much trouble he was in.

"I'msorryboutwhatIsaidaboutyourmumandforpushingyou." he blurted. Then he turned and ran away.. a suspicious trail of fluid following him.

Bully Routed.

* * *

**Maggie meets Mab**

_Maggie's P.O.V_

I love days out with my Dad. So does Mouse. (Mouse is a Super-Dog but that's a Big Secret.) My Dad is really cool, and big and strong and.. mine. We don't get to see each other as much as we want. He has a Very Hard Job. (He fights real monsters but that's a Big Secret.)

Today we are going Beach-combing. There was a real big storm last night and my Dad had called Mrs Carpenter to see if he could take me to the lake shore to see what the storm churned up. It was really just one of his excuses to spend time with me. I loved that he wanted to.

It was fun hunting for 'treasure' on the rough beach. We found lots of trash but no real treasures unless you count a cool old VW hood ornament that Dad got WAY too excited about and some cool pieces of sand smoothed glass in shades of red, green, blue and purple. Dad said we could make jewellery with them. Mouse ran about chasing seagulls. It was like being normal.

Dad noticed some old discarded fishing nets and growled. "Bloody idiots, don't they know not to dump those in the water." he said.

"Why is that Dad?" I asked. He smiled at me, he always smiled when I called him Dad, like it was his favourite sound ever.

"Nets like this tangle in things Angel, cause nasty snares and traps for fish, turtles and other things that live in the water. They get caught and they are eaten, if they are lucky, if they aren't, they drown or starve. It's cruel. Responsible fishermen try to retrieve broken nets and get rid of them responsibly. It's better for the food supply. I'm going to get rid of this lot." and he carefully picked his way over and started pulling the ropes and nets into a pile. I walked a little way down the beach to a large log where I sat down to watch him and Mouse. The wind blew up and I shivered.

I don't know where She came from. She just appeared and she looked like she stepped out of my favourite movie! My mouth fell open. The woman was beautiful.. tall and lovely, with white blonde hair hanging in a heavy braid over one shoulder glittering with diamond snowflakes and very blue eyes. She wore a sequined blue dress that glittered and clung to her then flowed down into a skirt as blue and flowing as icy water. It pooled out dramatically behind her and I could see her snow-white legs though the split in one side. Gauzy sleeves clung to her long arms, and dramatic panels of blue-white, sparkling gauze flowed dramatically from her shoulders, diamond white snowflakes glittered from the silken folds of the fabric. I stared at her then I stammered

"Who are you?"

My dad spun around and Mouse appeared from nowhere.. I have no idea how he did it, and planted himself between me and Queen Els.. no that's not right. Mouse began glowing blue and growling and Dad was striding forth. He looked mad.

The Lady smiled. And held a finger up to me for a moment, "Let me reassure your father first child. I would not like him to dirty my pretty dress." I nodded and looked at my dad. Yeah.. he was definitely mad.

He reached me pretty quick though I didn't see him run. Then he simply fixed his eyes on the woman and said, simply and with a polite.. almost.. bow of his head "My Queen. Dost thou have need of your Knight this day?"

Uh oh. Now I KNEW who this was.. and I was scared for a second. You know the Wicked Enchantress and Evil Queens in the stories by the Brother's Grimm? Well this was the Queen of ALL of them, some of the worst stories were about her! Then I remembered I had Mouse. And my Dad. She couldn't touch me. I studied her as she smiled, coolly, at him. "No task to speak of today, can a Queen not check on her Vassal?" Dad snorted and studied her outfit. Then he proved why he was my Hero.

"Bit obvious don't you think, My Queen. Who told you of her love for that movie?" he asked dryly. Queen Maab laughed.. actually laughed and it sounded so beautiful and clear it hurt. I winced and wrinkled up my nose. "Your own Vassal, the fairy known as Lacuna has not stopped singing that incessant song. After the 463rd rendition I asked her the meaning of it. She let slip it was your daughter's favourite movie. I wanted the child to feel at ease when I met her, the gown was very fetching and I must say.." she drew herself up, looking at me just so over her shoulder, and said, deadpan.. "The cold never bothered me anyway..." I couldn't help it.. I giggled and clapped my hands. Sue me, I'm ten! I still allowed to like fairy tales! She smiled at me and I blinked. Her smile wasn't scary.. or tricky.. she looked like Mrs C or Aunty Karrin when they smiled at me. Like she cared for me and loved me..

Dad had more to say. "You could have just ASKED me."

"La.. you would have said no." Mab dismissed him. "Now my Knight, I need to answer this young lady's question. It would be rude to make her wait any longer." Dad sighed and nodded. He looked a bit confused.

Queen Mab lowered herself to one knee smooth like melting ice. She studied my face carefully, then she spoke. "I am Queen Mab, but you may call me Grand-mama." I just gulped and nodded.

"It is nice to meet you, Grand-mama." I said. She smiled, a scary happy grin and leant down and kissed my cheek. Her lips were very cold. Something thrummed in the air, Magic, stronger than I'd felt from Dad or Molly and I felt a coolness on my skin. Then I looked at Dad.

He looked really funny. Like Wile E Coyote just after he runs of the cliff and realises he's falling.

* * *

**Thomas vs Charity Round 2**

"You took her to get her ears pierced?" Charity stared hard at Thomas, who was squirming. "Are you insane!?"

"I was careful! I took her to a top of the line pharmacy, not a cheep joint or tattoo parlour!"

"Did you get the needle they used? Or any gauze or cotton wool with her blood on it? Did you asked her Father before you took her out and let someone put holes through his little girl's ears?"

Thomas stared at her, his mouth falling open.

"Oh. Oh crap."

* * *

**Michael and Harry discuss Maggie and Mab**

_Harry's P.O.V_

"So let me get this right.. Mab has claimed kinship to Maggie." Michael looked worried. He took another pull from his bottle of Mac's dark. I did the same.

"Yeah.. and she's marked her as protected. No Fae can harm her until she is 18 without getting a Mab sized dose of punishment. The deal seems to be that I get to do whatever I want or need to do to keep her safe, and if anyone touches her Mab will take it personally. Like Mama Bear personally. Sarissa told me a couple of very gruesome stories about how she dealt with 'poachers' molesting her family. And I saw Lloyd Slate." I drank.

"Is this a good thing?" Michael asked.

I frowned. "It protects her from the Fae, and all their minions, Mab closed every loop-hole by kissing her. Not so much from mortals, but Mab assures me that if Nicodemus comes for her again... I can have my pick of warriors to throw at him. I think that Kringle and The Earl King would enjoy that hunt." Michael chuckled. "It would be entertaining to have good seats for it." he agreed. His face tightened as he remembered what they'd almost done to his family. Charity still had nightmares.

"Grandma-ma?" he asked.

"Yeah.".

"Heaven help you Harry.. you have the weirdest family ever."

I just drank more beer.

* * *

**Lessons**

The leering Fae Lord bore down on the obviously terrified human child, her face partly covered by tangled dark hair. She was lovely, and all alone. She must have escaped some less competent Fae. He would not make such a mistake.

"This must be my lucky day." he chortled, long white fingers reaching, brushing the hair from the girl's terrified face. And his eyes fixed on a shimmering silver kiss on her left cheek.

He froze. Literally. He could not move even an inch.

A sudden chill filled the air and he saw the child's eyes dart beyond him. Her face flooded with relief and she cried out "Grandma-ma!"

Oh Shit.

* * *

**No Boys Allowed**

"So what are you going to do about this 'boyfriend' thing." Molly asked.

Harry growled. And hit the nail he was pounding into the new cottage on Demonreach in harder. It sunk in with one blow.

"You knew it would happen one day." she said, smiling. And handed him another nail.

Harry growled. And glared. The next nail took one just one hit too.

Thomas walked over and began fitting a window frame a few feet from them. "What is he growling at?" he asked.

Molly grinned, a wicked little smile of pleasure. "Maggie's boyfriend." Thomas dropped the window frame on his foot and snarled. Molly smirked.

"She's only eleven!" he protested. "She's too young for a boyfriend!"

Harry growled again, and slammed home another nail.

"Oh you know how kids are.. She's all twitter-patted over this Sam kid." Molly teased.

They BOTH growled.

Molly giggled. Just too easy.

She'd have to get her Mum to calm them down so they didn't go hunting the poor kid tho.


	2. Chapter 2

**A Life in Capitals.**

Ever since I was eight years old my life had been in capitals.

"What do you mean" you ask?

Well lets start at the beginning shall we.

I started out life as Margaret Angelica Mendoza. I knew I was adopted of course, I even knew my birth mother, her name was Susan. I have pictures of her. She was nice and she loved me but she couldn't look after me. So she found the Mendozas. I had a family, a Mum and Dad, brothers and sisters. Until They came. I can still remember their screams, all the blood.. and the Monsters.

That was The Kidnapping. Capital Event Number One.

After that, there was The Bad Place. Capital Event Number Two. I don't talk about The Bad Place. I still dream about it sometimes. I was so scared, hungry and really cold. It was dark and there were.. things in the dark. There were screams, day and night, and not everything that screamed was human. And there was blood. Lots and lots of blood. I will always remember the colour of it, the smell. I will never forget it.

It was also the very first time I ever saw my Dad. He looked like a Superhero. He talked to me, just for a moment. He told me that he'd come to take me away from the monsters. And he did. My favourite memory of my Dad from that awful time was him holding me after everything was over and I could finally sleep, safe and warm in his arms.

Even then I KNEW he was my Daddy. After all He had done what Daddy's were supposed to do, he'd come and fought the monsters and rescued me. Before my Dad came I'd fallen asleep, and in my dream I was alone and crying. Then a voice, the strongest, bravest, best voice I'd ever heard had whispering "For you, little girl. Dad's coming."

So I kinda knew he was coming but it was hard to believe, harder to be brave, and when he appeared and he spoke, and I realised it was true and HE had come.. I was too scared and tired to tell him "Thank you."

After The Bad Place I got a new family, and a new dog. The Carpenter's were really nice, but the nightmares were really bad. I woke everyone up screaming, but they never minded. Little Harry gave me one of his teddy bears, to chase away my bad dreams, and Mrs Carpenter would sit with me until I could fall asleep again. Then a pale, pretty blonde girl came, she looked like she was in pain and couldn't walk without crutches but she brought Mouse. Mouse kept away the bad dreams.

Mouse is Capital Event Number 3. He's Super Dog. (I am not kidding.) He is very very smart, and loyal and a bit over protective. The pale girl, her name was Molly, was the Carpenter's oldest child and used to work with my Dad. She went with Dad and his friends to save me.

It was Molly who told me all about my dad, how he was a hero, a wizard who fought the bad things. She told me he hadn't known about me until The Kidnapping but as soon as he did, he'd loved me and he'd risked everything to come and save me. All he had wanted was for me to be safe. She told me how Mouse was his, and that he'd given him to me. Mouse would always keep me safe. Molly explained that my Dad had had to go away. That he hadn't wanted to leave me, he loved me very much. Someone had wanted to hurt him and maybe they had shot him. Molly would never said he was Dead. He was just gone. She explained it all to me, then she went away too. She visited sometimes, but never as often as Mr and Mrs Carpenter wanted. (or me and Mouse.) For a long long time she was very sad.

Then all of a sudden she was happy. One day I heard Molly tell her Dad. "Harry's alive. Mab has him." I was so excited. I was sure he would come see me. Molly had said he loved me.

So I waited but he didn't come.

On Halloween Molly went away too. She came back different.

She said she'd seen my Dad. He was on his Island.

I waited again. And I started to wonder. Had I done something wrong? Why didn't he come.

Molly said he has a Very Hard Job. But one that is Very Important. That his Boss is Mean. She said all of this with capitals. She also said his job, what my Dad is, is a Big Secret. Family and those in the know only. Only I didn't know who knew what. No one told me anything. Except for Molly. And Mouse.

Then he finally came. My Dad. Capital Event Number 4. And my favourite. One night there was a lot of noise, and we all had to hide. (The Carpenter's have their own panic room!) I was scared but I had Mouse. When we came out, Mouse dragged me to the stairs and there he was. My Dad. I knew him right away, Molly had shown me a picture. He was very very big. The tallest man I'd ever seen. He looked very strong, but so tired. I was only nine but I remember how worn out and sad he looked. I still thought he looked wonderful. He was my Dad. And suddenly I had to know, had he come to take me away? Did he loved me, or had I done something bad? Did he want to be my Dad for real?

So I asked and he looked like he wanted to cry. But he did say he wanted to be my Dad, and that I'd done nothing wrong. And Mouse said he was nice. Mouse is always right. He read me stories, and slept in my room. And my little sister? She's sure different from anyone else's little sister. One of a kind but she sure was an awesome Sixth Capital Event.

And after that whenever his Mean Boss let him stay in town he came around all the time. He'd come to my school events, to my softball games. He took me out, brought me things and taught me so much. He never missed my birthday, and he never missed Christmas. Though he missed Church whenever he could get away with it. Dad is a technology killer, (but now so am I!) He actually has his own super creepy island, and a really big mouth. He can be an embarrassing dork. He can also be scary overprotective.. as a few of his enemies and two of my would be boyfriends found out.

He is the best Dad ever.

So as you can see, my life is full of Capitals. Winter Knight and Winter Lady. Super Dog. Capital Events. Wizards. Magic. Big Secret. Little Sister. Swords of Faith. Fairy Queen.

I am Margaret Angelica Dresden, Apprentice to Warden Dresden, the Winter Knight.


	3. Chapter 3

_The Dresden Files, it's characters, themes and places _

_belong to Jim Butcher. I am merely a novice dabbling for fun._

**Dresden Drabbles**

**Awkward Conversations.**

No father ever wants to admit his little girl is growing up. Hence this conversation between an amused Charity and horrified Harry takes place. Maggie is just turning thirteen.

**The Carpenter Kitchen.**

Charity: "Maggie has had a bit of a growth spurt of late... I will need to take her shopping soon."

Harry: "Huh? Again? I hadn't noticed she was any taller.."

Charity: SIGH "Not upwards Harry, haven't you noticed? Maggie is growing up, she's blossoming into a young woman."

Harry: Spluttering violently. "What! No No she's Not! She's not blossoming, she's still a little girl!"

Charity: "Not so little any more Harry, she's been developing breasts for a while now, she needs training bra at the least.

PAUSE. SPFITZ... CRACKLE "Dammit there go the kitchen lights." SIGH.

Charity: "Harry, calm down, breath.. your going red. Oh for goodness sake."

**SLAP**

Harry: "OW!"

Charity: "Your welcome.

**Harry the Softie **

**Harry's POV**

Most men will tell you that shopping with a woman, any woman, can be a very painful experience for any man, well, any straight man, (and a few of the gay ones too I'd bet.) I'd bet most of THEM never went shopping with two woman, ( I THOUGHT) to buy clothing for a third with serious height disadvantages. Yep. I was taking my eleven year old daughter, Maggie, and my former apprentice, and new Boss, Molly Carpenter, on a shopping trip to pick up a more adequate wardrobe for my fairy vassal, Lacuna. A doll sized, opinionated little fairy I had inadvertently bound to myself. The lady in question was hiding in Molly's handbag, having refused to be left at home once she knew what we were planning. Anyone would think she didn't trust us.

Molly had never really been a girly-girl and to my horror she had enlisted help. We were joined, ambushed really, by Andi and Justine and soon they were were all giggling like school girls. Hells Bells, my life.

So there I was, the loan male in a group of lovely ladies, including my daughter and we were all standing in an aisle of PINK. I am more then six and a half feet tall.. with some really impressive scars and I wear a big black duster everywhere. I really stood out. The girls didn't notice. They were to busy oohing and ahhing over every thing in sight.

Lacuna however wasn't impressed by all the frills and frivolity and I could already tell by the utter disgust on her tiny face that pink definitely wasn't her colour. This could get very interesting. Maybe today would not be a total loss. I found a seat and settled down for the show. Wish I had popcorn.

Zipping between the dolls on display Lacuna found herself at the racks of outfits and accessories on offer. She began pawing through them, much like any woman at any boutique, her tiny face a mask of disgust and horror.

"Too Pink!"

"Too Frilly!"

"Ugh more pink! Yuck"

I guess she was not favourably impressed. I hid my amusement as the girls offered the little fairy everything that took their fancy and received scathing rejection after rejection.

A pink and silver party dress was rejected for being "Too Frilly" Actually anything pink was glared at and several outfits were refused for being "too human." She scowled at anything remotely lacy, and a puffy yellow ball-gown was almost incinerated when Andi suggested it.

"Do I look like a simpering Disney Princess to you?" Lacuna had shrilled.

A few things were found acceptable, a tiny imitation black leather jacket, a packet of 'hipster' hats, a bundle of three outfits for being a farmer, explorer or cowgirl, and several outfits for going hiking, skiing, and camping, all with as little pink as possible. A few accessories went in to the trolley, a retro camping set, grabbed mostly for the small table and chairs, sleeping bags and tent, all just perfect for Lacuna and Toot Toot. A couple of sets of plastic plates and cups, a brush and comb set and some doll sized bags in a pack of five. I found a couple of 'Ken' outfits for Toot-Toot, just shorts and t-shirts that I thought the little guy might like, and a full Marine costume that I KNEW he'd love. There was a handsome prince on display, but I rejected out of hand as too pretty for Toot. He'd be insulted.

It was then the girls found the other dolls. Dolls wearing clothes Molly would have loved with wildly coloured hair and skin. Lacuna was thrilled. In the end I had to buy four more dolls, the outfits did not come separate, and we added the scary Goth dolls to two Barbies and assorted accessories. Passing a large display of assorted doll house I found my steps slowing. One in particular, sized for Barbie and other assorted fashion dolls caught my eye. Most of the furnishings and room sizes were ideal for Toot and Lacuna, and it even had working lights. Surprisingly the house wasn't expensive either so I added it to the trolley. Lacuna just stared at me in shock. Molly smiled.

Toot Toot had long been a loyal and faithful if somewhat pizza crazed ally. He helped me, I gave him pizza. It was win win. Then he bound himself to me, declaring me his Liege when I became the Winter Knight I had bound Lacuna to me, accidentally, as my vassal some years earlier and I felt that I owed them both my protection and care.

To me that meant providing food, clothing, shelter and safety. After being built their new home could be warded to give my little friends a safe retreat.

Somehow Andi and Justine had managed to get some very nice outfits that weren't pink, into the trolley, and even some dresses in red, black and silver had been deemed 'acceptable.' Maggie in turn had a few new outfits for all the dolls she would soon have to play with. She didn't mind pink at all, and Lacuna had promised her anything she didn't want. (Inadvertently there were things amongst the packets and bundles Lacuna wasn't keen on, but was willing to ignore in favour of items she did want in the same bundle.) On our way out Maggie spotted a display with several fashion dolls from recent children's movies and had insisted Lacuna had to have the outfits from her favourites. I drew the line at three, the dolls were slightly more expensive then the others. As the three outfits were in shades of blue, purple, green and black, Lacuna had quite liked them.

Yeah.. I'm a sucker for a girl. Any girl really, but my girls.. I would walk over razor blades, through fire and even go shopping for dolls clothes for a fairy in a toy store.


	4. Chapter 4

**Dresden Drabbles **

_Mostly Maggie centric._

_Characters etc are the property of Jim Butcher. I own nothing._

**Harry Dresden POV**

It was a glorious summer Sunday and Maggie and I were sitting on a park bench in the sunshine, idly throwing a Frisbee for Mouse and just spending time together. Maggie had been quietly thoughtful most of the afternoon and I knew she was thinking hard about something, she chewed her lip just like her mother did when she was pondering something.

"Daddy?"

Here it comes.

"Yes Pumpkin?"

"What was Mom like? Can you tell me about her?" Maggie sounded nervous and hopeful, all at once.

Just like that my heart stood still. I had dreaded this moment since the day I brought y daughter home.

I could tell her lots of things about her mother. How beautiful she was, how smart, and brave and wonderful she had been. That she'd been a reporter, and a damn good one, and she'd known about the things that go bump in the night and had wanted to write stories about them.

I could tell her that those same dark creatures that had taken her had also taken her mother and tried to make her one of them. I could tell her that I killed a whole bunch of them by setting them on fire and started a worldwide, secret war between two supernatural superpowers when I went and took her mother back.

I could tell her that her mother had left me, taken up the fight against those same demons, whilst always fighting her own demon. I could tell her that her Mom was a war hero, that she had worked tirelessly to end the scourge of the Red Court.

I could tell her that she was a child of love, that I had and always would love her mother, had never wanted her to be gone and I had tried for years to find a way to save her, so she could return to me.

I could tell her, that because of my job, her Mom had tried to hide her away, to keep her safe. And that as soon as I knew she existed and had been taken, her Mother and I had come after her. We had done many things to get to her. Fought, bled, dealt and killed.

If I told her all this, I hoped she would be satisfied.

Because I didn't want her to know how the story ends. Not yet. She was too young, and I didn't yet want to tell her. She still loved me, still thought I was someone awesome. I didn't want to tarnish that.

It had all come to an ugly stand-off, my daughter wriggling beneath the hand of a Mad King. Susan held at the point of Martin, the turn-coat's, knife. My own will bound. And it was my words that gave fire to Susan's change, when the pieces fell in place and she understood. Martin, her partner, had betrayed her, and sold out Maggie. As I watched she turned, and she killed him. There was a vicious battle, and finally it was me, looking down at a terrified, changing Susan. We knew what we had to do, she understood it. She let me do it. Doesn't change the facts though. I killed her.

In place of my daughter, Susan died upon that cold stone alter. The youngest Red Court Vampire. With her death, so died the entire Red Court, plunging most of the third world into chaos, and the magical and supernatural communities into damage control. For me.. I had killed the woman I loved, the mother of my child. A child I could not stay to care for because I had made a deal with Queen Mab.

So I gathered my nerve and began. "Your Mom was one of the most amazing women I ever met. She was smart, funny, curious enough to get her into trouble and an excellent reporter." I began. "She was brave too, and she worked out that there really were things that went Bump in the night before I even met her." I smiled, remembering. "She used to bug me for stories all the time, so I asked her out to diner." Maggie giggled.

"Was she pretty? I sort of remember her, I think she was pretty" Maggie frowned, clearly bothered that she couldn't remember.

"Yes Sweetie, your Mum was very pretty. You look a lot like her, but you have my skin tone and chin. Your mum had darker skin, long dark hair and a beautiful smile. I always thought she was a knock out." Maggie beamed at me.

"Daddy?"

I was getting worried now. I threw the Frisbee again for mouse before I answered. "Yeah?"

"Why was I sent away? Why didn't I get to live with you and Mummy? Didn't you want me?"

Stab Stab.

Wow. That one hurt. There really was only one way I could explain it all, without upsetting her. Or insulting her mother. So I lifted her into my lap and began.

"Let me tell you a story. It all began with a party invitation..."

We were interrupted before I got to the last part of the story, where I'd have had to tell her the whole horrible truth. Michael and Charity arrived at the park with four enormous picnic baskets, two huge coolers and their tribe of kids. Maggie immediately jumped down from my lap and went haring off to see what goodies Charity had brought.

I felt like Yogi Bear. Saved by a pic-i-nic basket..

The time would come, when I would tell her everything. Today was just not that day.


	5. Chapter 5

**Dresden Drabbles **

_Mostly Maggie centric._

_Characters etc are the property of Jim Butcher. I own nothing._

I have a really big problem. I actually like school and I like my teacher. This assignment, however, has me in a quandary.

"My Family, what they are like, what they do and why they are special." and Miss Fitzsimons wants at least 500 words!

"So what? You say. "How hard is that?"

You haven't met my family. If I wrote the truth I'd probably

A: Get an F for lying and

B: Get suspended for lying

C: Get into HUGE trouble for reliving very sensitive secrets

D: Get locked up for being insane.

E: All of the above

"No one's family is **THAT** out there!" you say? "It can't be **THAT** bad?"

Really? Ok, you asked for it. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I'll start with my foster family, the one I live with now. The last one.. I don't like to think about that. Nor about what happened to them. Anyway I live with the Carpenters. They are awesome. Mr C is huge and broad and very strong. He was in a real bad accident that messed him up pretty bad, left him half blind and he walks with a cane but he is still awesome. He is also one of very few Knights of the Cross who got to retire. (Yeah that Cross.) He used to travel the world destroying evil and fighting against Fallen Angels. He is a Good Man.

He even rescued his wife, Charity, from an honest to goodness Dragon! Then he swept her off her feat and married her!

Mrs C looks more like a Valkyrie then a soccer Mom, she's really fit and strong too but soft, and gentle and she gives great hugs. She has also stormed a fairy stronghold in the very heart of winter to rescue one of her children, fended off attacking fairies with a nail gun and faced armed gun-men and fallen angels without flinching to defend her home. On top of that she makes the best ever chocolate chip cookies and is one of the few women who can scare my Dad.

Then there are my foster siblings. I won't go into details but they are also pretty awesome, and there are way too many of them to tell you ever detail. It's great though, growing up like a litter of puppies, always someone to fight or play with. Hank (The youngest Carpenter, but still older then me) drives me the craziest. He can be really annoying.

Then there are my Uncles and Aunties.

Uncle Sanya and Uncle Waldo are both Knights of the Cross. Which is funny because Sanya is a big, black Russian who claims to be agnostic and Uncle Waldo is short, kinda nerdy, (he has a one man polka suit for goodness sake!) and.. wait for it.. Jewish. Oh.. and his sword is an honest to goodness Light Sabre!

Aunty Karrin, formally Sargent Karrin Murphy Head of Special Investigation with with Chicago Police, and now an 'associate' with the Brighter Future Society. She is pretty, tiny and my dad's girlfriend. She's gone into a heap of fights with my dad, and come out again. She takes on monsters all the time to by herself too. Given that she looks like a cheerleader it's hard to imagine but she has a LOT of marksman and martial arts trophies and awards. She was NOT someone to mess with. She has even wielded one of the Swords once or twice before. She was right there next to dad when he came and saved me.

Uncle Thomas is really cool, and very, very good looking. He's so pretty that ladies actually follow him around. It's weird. He also likes to buy me things, and is the only one ever allowed to cut my hair. He is also a Incubus, a White Court Vampire who can rip out your life force. He's wicked strong, super fast and really dangerous.

My Dad's closest friends can all shape-shift into wolves. So cool. Dad won't let me learn. So NOT cool.

My Grandfather is also a Wizard, one of the most powerful on the whole planet. According to my Dad he has a job even more secret and dangerous then his.

Then we come to Molly, my Dad's.. ugh I don't even know what to call her. She was his apprentice. Molly is a Wizard, like my Dad and wicked strong. She is also known as The Rag Lady and is NOW the Winter Lady. A very very important role within the Winter Courts of the Shea. She is known as the Queen That Will Be. Goes well with dad's job.

My Mom was an only child, and her parent's died before I was born. So not much to tell you about there. She and my Dad were dating and Mom got grabbed by the now non-existent Red Court of Vampires. (Think Dracula but way way worse. They look like slimy bat things beneath their fake skin suits. They bit her, infecting her with their darkness but Mom didn't go all the way over, not then. She ran away, only coming back long enough to help Dad out and get pregnant with me. (I was a BIG shock to her.) Scared she sent me to live elsewhere but some very bad vampires found out about me.

Enter my Dad. He is very very tall.. the tallest man I have ever seen and he is the most amazing dad. He gave me my dog after all. Well.. Mouse is TECNICALLY a dog... one who the size of a pony and twice as fluffy. Mouse is super strong, and super smart. A Foo Dog, who can glow blue when bad things come, from some far of Tibetan monastery.

He is also a Wizard and a Warden of the White Council. He helps the other wizards fight bad things and he helps to teach baby Wizards.

He is Warden of Demonreach, this super creepy island where monsters get locked up, and has a weird relationship with the big scary guardian that lives there.

My Dad has done a LOT of stuff. He's fought necromancers, warlocks, zombies, werewolves, ghouls, ghosts and goblins. He's destroyed magical drug rings and defeated demons, kicked off a war with vampires over a woman (my Mom), made the news fighting a werewolf with Murphy, ridden a Zombie dinosaur to stop a bunch of crazies, killed a Fairy Queen, stormed Arctus Tor to save Molly, and taken the Wild Hunt from the Earl King himself. He's burnt down a LOT of buildings too. Or made them fall down. He wiped out every Red Court Vampire alive after they kidnapped me. He took up the mantle of the Winter Knight to save me.

The Winter Knight, the right hand man and executioner to Queen Mab. Yeah, THAT Mab. The Queen That Is. Queen of Air and Darkness. She is eternally both evil, terrifying, and very very powerful. She also has a very important role to play.

Oh, and I call her Grand-mama.

See what I mean. If I hand this in, I will get into a whole lot of trouble, no matter what.

I'll go ask Mrs C what to do. Or maybe I can just say Mouse ate it...


	6. Chapter 6

**Dresden Drabbles**

**One Sunday Afternoon...**

**Not Mine, Sniff Sniff. I am merely playing with Mr Butcher's toys. All credit to Jim :-)**

**Inspired by a picture on The Dresden Files Facebook page.**

My well earned Sunday afternoon cold beer with Michael was rudely interrupted by an ungodly scream coming from the second story of the Carpenter home.

"_Harry! Help Me!"_ wailed the terrified voice of my old friend, Bob the Skull.

Between the space of that scream and my next heartbeat I was sprinting into the house and up the stairs, drawing my power, and the power of the Winter Knight around me without conscious thought. I'd never heard Bob sound so scared before.

As I crested the stairs I became aware of Charity and Michael coming fast behind me, and voices coming from my daughter, Maggie's room.

"There! Now your a pretty princess!" said Maggie

"I AM not a Princess" protested Bob, indignant.

"You could be Justin Bieber instead." piped up my other daughter's voice.

"Fine. Fine. I'm a Princess." Bob snapped.

I pushed open the door to my daughter's room and stared. My nine year old daughter was sitting on the floor of her room, two skulls, one bone and one wood on a low child's table before her. Bob's skull sported a silky blonde wig and a sparkling plastic tiara. Bright blue eye shadow and hand drawn eyebrows decorated the brow ridges, red blush on the cheek bones and bright pink lipstick outlined the skulls maw. All applied with the heavy hand of a child. Beside him, my spiritual child in her smaller wooden skull, was covered in glittering powder and a bright purple wig.

Bob's red gold eye lights flicked to the doorway as Charity and Michael caught up with me and took in the room. His eyes seemed to widen as he took in our faces. I couldn't help it. I started laughing.

"Dresden..." Bob said, warningly.

"Charity.. get a camera.. " I gasped out.

"Dresden! Don't you dare!


End file.
